Races
Mirik is home to numerous and diverse races of sentient and pseudo-sentient beings, each with a culture and biology all their own. In a world filled with magic, the races are divided into two categories: the Blessed, and the Unblessed. The Blessed possess magic, supernatural powers, extended lifespan, enhanced strength and/or speed, and a host of other such abilities. Needless to say, these races are generally in control of the major nations and kingdoms. The Unblessed are weaker beings, sub-sections of the Blessed races, and hold no powers or magic, and are not especially gifted or talented, at least to the level of the Blessed. The Blessed Arcons see main article: Arcons Arcons originated on Subrea, and developed alongside the Artanians. Arcons became the slaves of the Artanians and remained so for centuries before their revolt and mass Exodus to Nadia. Arcons are known for producing powerful magic users. While the majority of Arcons were very limited in their use of magic, some were remarkably powerful as usually held high positions. The greatest calling card of the Arcons, however, is their remarakable ability to adapt to virtually any environment. They have survived in grasslands, forrests, deserts, and ice with almot equal measure. Artavi, or Pure Arcons are a very long-lived offshoot of the Arcon species, with no definitely end by natural means. The royal bloodlines are that of Artavi, and all members have been in some form of power since beforoe the founding of the kingdom. Since leaving Anatis, they have propagated the entirety of the Nadian continent, though official government is established in the northern half, in the kingdom of Arconadia. Artanians see main article: Artanians Artanians are among the oldest of the late races, and rule over the oldest modern kingdom, Anatis. The Artanians grew alongside the Arcons, but developed more physically, carrying a fairly large stature. In addition, they developed immense psychic powers. This allows them to dominate other creatures, bringing them under their will. This allowed them to form a formidable powerbase, providing means to control other races, even those more “powerful” than they, and especially over those they deem inferior. The Unblessed see main article: The Unblessed The Unblessed are the pariahs of Mirik. An offshoot of the Artanians, they are born with no mental prowess, often lacking complex thought; they largely retain their stature. Such a birth is a shame upon a family, and the children are often either hidden away or sold discretely to a slave company. The Unblessed form most of the labor force in Anatis, especially after the loss of the Arcons and of the races in the Hashan Unity. There is also talk, among the more intelligent Unblessed, of a Savior born of the earth, who is so severed from the spiritual world that psychic powers have no effect on him, and that he will eventually lead a crusade against the Artanians as give power to the Unblessed people. Dragons see main article: Dragons Dragons (or Draz in their own tongue, meaning “us”) are the oldest known race on Mirik, and are said to be the first physical creation, made in the image of the Unknown Lord. They inhabit Draz-ugul, the first kingdom (literally “our home”), a large island southwest of Subrea. Larger than other races, Dragons are just as diverse. Some are smaller, standing only a few heads above a common Unblessed individual. Others stand taller than trees. Long-lived (lifespans of thousands of years) and covered in scales and hard spines, Dragons are fierce predators and hunters, and shrewd diplomats, really only rivaled by the equally long-lived Artanians. For the most part, they try to stay away from the mainlands, but there have been sightings of some wandering the abandoned spaces in the kingdoms, especially the Freelands and the Badlands of Arconadia. Grathar see main article: Grathar The Grathar hail from Hythorn, the southern half of Hyhall, a rocky and mountainous island south of Arconadia. Another old race, they possess notable avian features, covered in feathers, possessing taloned-hands and elongated beak-like faces. They are skilled flyers and scouts, and make their homes high in the mountains where the common mortal cannot reach. The Grathar are sources of much Unblessed folklore and mythology. Hythorn was founded near the time of Anatis and the Hashan Unity, and remained fairly localized and isolated. Attempts to spread their territory to the northern section of the island proved futile for a multitude of reasons, and they have thus kept to the mountain south. Karilites see main article: Karilites Karilites are the newest addition to the global community. Sailing from the far west during the Fifth Age of the Modern Era, they landed on Subrea and settled immediately, bringing with them a host of cultural, social, and religious novelties. They are uncannily similar to the wolves found throughout Subrea and Arconadia, in fact, they are oft described as “wolves on two feet.” As such, they have occasionally faced racial stigma, dismissed as mere beasts. Regardless, they are savage warriors and immensely caring protectors, forming powerful familial bonds even with those of different blood, once that trust is earned. A mysterious group, they foster strong relationships with those they trust, but still keep very secretive for most things. Many a scholar has tried to glean their origins, but the Karilite race remains shrouded in mystery. This was one of the contributing factors of the Karilite-Artanian War that ended the Fifth Age, but has since become ignored by the common person as just “another strange thing about the wolf-folk.” Zebarak see main article: Zebarak The Zebarak are a great minority in the world. They possess the smallest kingdom, and remain very tribal in their social structure. They are mistrusting of most strangers, but make for values friends to those who put the effort forth. Skilled herbalists, they possess no inherent magic like the Magin Arcons or the Karilites, but are able to summon magic from the earth itself through ritual, potions, and performance. Zebarak are very similar to the common Unblessed, and are often indistinguishable from them. What sets them apart are the intricate tattoos that decorate their bodies. Acting as charms and incantations, the tattoos are indicative of achievements and status, and are changed to meet the need of the individual in his community. Other races Kazz'gah see main article: Kazz'gah The Kazz’gah (“people of taint” in Draz) are a insectoid race from the southern reach of Nidia, and later from Sunderholm Isle. A vicious and spiteful people, they desire conquest of as much as they can hold. Widely regarded as irredeemably evil, much of the world despises the race as whole. They are quadrupedal, winged, and covered in a hard chitinous exoskeleton. They possess large external mandibles and an internal mouth structure. They have rudimentary vocal cords and are largely incapable of making complex sounds. They operate in a false hive-mind, where they are not truly mentally linked, but instead operate under instinct that is bred into specialized groups. This selective breeding creates “castes” though there is no significant social hierarchy, especially considering that most Kazz’gah lack the brain structures to form personalities or even a measure of understandable sentience. They are known to create massive structures that are as tall as they are deep, and just as vast. Their structures are often compared to ant hills and bee hives, as they fall somewhere in between, with complicated networks of tunnels and honeycomb-like internal structuring. Crawlers Crawlers are a desert-dwelling people in the Creeping Sands of Nadia. A combination of insectoid and reptilian features create an image of a ghastly race, feared by many. In actuality, they are nomadic race, largely uninterested in global affairs. Silosyn see main article: Silosyn The Silosyn are a species of giant mushroom that live in the south-most region of Subrea, the region named “Deadhalls”. Massive in size, they link together to form a complex and widespread (hundreds of kilometers) bioelectric network of roots and tendrils. They release a spore into the air, known as the Haze. It is a psychotropic substance that “coerces” other species and eventually assimilates them into the network. These species then adopt the moral structure of the Silosyn – general passivity, but highly aggressive when threatened. The assimilated drones are used as defense against attackers. Sentient species are largely immune to complete assimilation, but are still affected and persuaded. They are “allowed” to coexist with the Silosyn, forming a society that is mostly controlled by the Silosyn. Sentient drones are druid-like, and receive instinct-like drives to serve the Silosyn. This society is largely agrarian, with minimal artistic and scientific advancement; however, the assimilation of more sentient life increases the development of this pseudosociety. While unaware and non-sentient themselves, the Silosyn experience awareness through the assimilated sentient species, including a desire for culture, abstract expression, exploration, and expansion.